I want to thank everyone for the well wishes that poured out when Lucie was attacked by another dog. It really helped to have your insight and well wishes.
Luckily the owner of the dog who attacked her paid off her Emergency hospital bill. It is a law in Arizona that the owner of a dog that attacks another dog must pay the Veterinary bills. However, when I looked into it, if the owner doesn’t do the right thing and pay the bill upfront, the only way you can get them to pay is to take it to court and sue them for the money. What I did was report the bite to Pima County Animal Control, but not press charges since the owner paid the bills. If the dog bites someone else, or something more happens, I can still press charges up to a year from the date of attack. The owner was truly apologetic, and this seemed to be the best way to move forward.
Many of you have asked how Lucie is doing, and I must admit she is a rock star. I was worried about her healing at her advanced age, which I should have known better, because I rebuke my clients all the time for worrying. The first few days when Lucie was home, I took her out in a stroller so she didn’t have to walk but could still get fresh air and see what was going on in the neighborhood. After those few days, Lucie was eager to walk on her own again. In fact, she even wanted to walk past the house where she was attacked. This amazed me, because I was so spooked I picked Lucie up and nervously speed walked past the place.
I did a rescue event that I brought Lucie to, and took her in the stroller so she would be eye level with the big dogs that came into my booth. She felt safe and enjoyed the extra attention the stroller brought her. The next month, she felt confident enough to jump out of the stroller and interact with the dogs visiting my booth paw to paw. Lucie likes wearing her cowboy hat to get more attention from people, and I just realized the other dogs don’t make fun of her for it.
Lucie’s wounds healed up so completely it is hard to see where the attack was. I had her hair cut shorter after the attack, so that all her hair was the same length in a month and a half. She doesn’t limp or showing any lasting signs of the attack. With the exception of one thing- she no longer will use the doggie door to go outside to pee and poop. So I’ve put down potty pads in the kitchen, and make sure she gets her walk at the same time every night.
After what she’s been through, the last thing she needs is me getting after her about something she is afraid to do.
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Enjoy, Ann
Good to hear she’s doing better. A lot of people in the province I live in don’t understand that they are liable for any damage their dog causes – and yes, in dog parks too. Lucie’s so perfect.